A New Change
by CaffineLFNDGG
Summary: Rory's Changed, Really changed, and the main people in her life or who used to be, are worried, no pairing done yet


Chapter 1- So That He Saw  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Gilmore Girls. Ha rub it in some more why don't you!  
  
  
  
Distribution- you can distribute this wherever as long as you email me first and give me credit.  
  
Authors Note: This is a fairly different story in my view, it is fairly depressing in this chapter but it will get better, please review because I am unsure about whether to continue! ON WITH THE SHOW!  
  
Background Info: Tristan came back. Its set when Rory, Tristan, Dean and Jess are all 26, Tristan has been back for five years. Rory changed two years ago and is getting married. The three men are friends.  
  
  
  
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What if?  
  
That he found was the most insanely annoying phrase that had ever been written. A thousand words could not describe the pure and utter hatred he felt towards those words. The what if's that were in his life were many, the choices he could have made, the things he could have done. He looked over at her and swallowed hard, thinking that it should have been him. But here he was standing at her wedding reception watching as she greeted people politely and kindly, but it wasn't really her. He sighed and ran his hand through his tousled blonde hair, Tristan Dugrey was not supposed to get hung up over a girl like this. He was not supposed to care. But about her he cared. Rory was different and everything he wanted. He had come back from military school and that first day he had showed up on her front porch asking for friendship. That was all he had asked for though he wanted more, and surprisingly she had welcomed him back whole-heartedly and had given him the friendship he had wanted. After about three years he had had to go away, for a business trip, for six months. They said their goodbyes and promised to write to each other often. He wrote to her constantly and didn't let a day go by with out writing a letter, for the first month or so she did the same. Then the letters turned short, they didn't hold any warmth. He started to notice a dramatic change, he called her and her voice was lifeless. He had arrived back home and found a different Rory. He saw this same different Rory today, her eyes were lifeless, her tone was dull, her skin was cold, yet he still loved her for all he was worth. No one knew what had happened to the once striking and lively person that Rory Gilmore had been. Not even he did.  
  
He had hidden his love from her for god knows what reason and now he knew he would never have a chance to express it to her. Not that he could even get through to her, the woman that had once been his best friend now looked away from people's eyes, was constantly in fear and tried to ignore everything you said. He stirred the martini that he held in his hands, then he snared his face up in pure disgust with the whole thing, Rory marrying, and not to him. He gulped down the martini as though it were a shot and felt it sear through his throat.  
  
Of course Tristan Dugrey was not the only one who let Rory Gilmore get away. No there were two others, two others who had their shots, whose love for her was as strong as ever. Two others who had once hated one another so deeply that one could say that you would be able to cut the tension with a knife. Two others who were now friends, they both felt the same thing for Rory, both wanted to be the man that she had just married but both knew they couldn't be. There were two others standing together watching the scene that was displayed before them.  
  
"Do you think she'll be happy?" Jess asked.  
  
"Not a chance in hell will she be happy," replied Dean.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"She knew the guy for what a month, and now here she is married, and if you ask me I still don't see any light in her eyes even if she is supposed to be in love."  
  
Tristan who had walked over lazily after downing his martini joined in and said, "She's not happy, and she never will be until she says what truly happened."  
  
"Dugrey," Jess said acknowledging the fact that his other friend was there.  
  
Dean just nodded in Tristan's direction.  
  
It was odd that these three men should become friends. After all they had been after the same girl since their teenage years. But somehow a mutual understanding and a special bonding had formed between the three. Especially after the Rory they knew disappeared, when they all needed each other.  
  
"He's slimy," commented Dean about William the guy that Rory had married.  
  
"Immensely, and he won't even let you call him Will, it has to be William and he has that obnoxious tone," said Jess.  
  
"He's disgusting, a fat pig if you ask me, all he cares about is reputation and money."  
  
"Does he even have any money or a reputation?" asked Jess curiously.  
  
"Of course he does, he is William Croftfall, millionaire of Wall Street, makes deals in a flash and has the most respected name down in that sleazy business," said Tristan, for although he was involved in that business as well, he detested it.  
  
"That's just great," said Dean, "You know what I don't think I can handle it any longer, I'm going."  
  
"Are you going to say goodbye and congratulations?" asked Jess.  
  
"To the bride?"  
  
Jess nodded.  
  
"No because I don't think they are in order, I'll see you two later though."  
  
The three men nodded acknowledging the fact and one another then Dean strode off.  
  
"So how long do you plan to stick around watching this hideous sight Dugrey?"  
  
"Don't know, for some reason I'm enjoying making myself suffer."  
  
"You think she'll ever come to her senses?"  
  
"Rory was lost long ago I think, I can only hope and wish that one day she'll return."  
  
"And leave the slime ball," added Jess.  
  
"Yes and leave him."  
  
"Put on a happy face."  
  
Tristan tore his gaze away from the crowd and snapped it to his friend with a questioning look on it.  
  
"She's headed our way."  
  
Tristan let out a small groan.  
  
"Gentlemen," came the cool calm colleted voice of Rory now Croftfall, just seconds after Jess had informed Tristan of her heading over.  
  
"Ms. Croftfall," said Jess in a tone, which no emotions could be found in.  
  
Rory shot him an icy glare before turning to Tristan and saying, "Glad that the two of you could make it, William is certainly pleased as well."  
  
"I'm sure he's simply ecstatic to know that his competitor is here," said Tristan sarcastically.  
  
"Actually out of the office he looks at everyone with an open eye, which is more then I can say for others."  
  
"We look at him the way he is," said Jess, "Now if you'll excuse me Rory, or rather Ms. Croftfall, I can not stand to be in here another moment. Bye Tristan, we'll have coffee soon."  
  
Then Jess started to walk out, both Rory's and Tristan's eyes followed him.  
  
Jess snapped around quickly and added, "Oh yeah and I suppose I'm supposed to say Congratulations. So there you go Loralei Croftfall, congratulations. I hope that you are very happy with your husband." Then he walked briskly out of the room.  
  
Tristan's eyes shot to Rory and he was pained to feel that even after she was married, even after she had changed, that he was still deeply in love with her. What was that phrase, absence makes the heart grow fonder? Yet another phrase that he detested but it was so true in this case, Rory Gilmore was absent and he Tristan Dugrey would do anything to find her once again.  
  
"I'm guessing you're not going to say congratulations either are you?" asked Rory coolly her eyes narrowing on Tristan, but they weren't on his eyes, they were somewhere on his face, or perhaps past him and into darkness.  
  
"Jess said congratulations."  
  
"Hmmm." Rory said before turning and starting to walk away.  
  
"Rory," Tristan called out quietly but she heard it, she turned around and walked back towards him.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Tristan looked at her eyes, trying to capture her gaze but to no avail. For the one second that she let him see her eyes he thought he saw an emotion flicker across them. Hope. Hope that he would say something, and hope that she could be herself once again.  
  
"Look me in the eye Rory."  
  
"I can't," whispered Rory barely audiblely.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because.."  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"Because it would hurt to much," Rory said as a tear dripped down.  
  
Tristan used his thumb to wipe away her tear and said, "One day I want to see the old Rory, so does Dean, so does Jess. All three of us know this isn't you, come back and be you."  
  
Rory continued looking down at her feet with a cold hard glare implanted on her face then she lifted her head for a moment, just a moment so that they met Tristan's eyes, so that he saw the tears falling down and the tears that were welling up, so that he saw the emotions, so that he saw that she was still there. Then she picked up her dress and ran, ran towards the bathroom and away from the three men that haunted her lives, the three men that wanted her back.  
  
Tristan sighed, he would do anything to get her back and he knew that it was possible for the old Rory to shine through once again.  
  
He quietly slipped out of the reception hall, and back to his hotel room.  
  
He fell asleep and a few hours later was woken by the sound of the phone.  
  
---Loralei/Tristan Intercut---  
  
"Hello?" asked Tristan wearily.  
  
"How was it?" came a sobbing voice over the phone.  
  
"Loralei.."  
  
"No really how was it."  
  
"It was depressing."  
  
"As I thought it would be."  
  
"You still should have been there."  
  
"I couldn't bring myself to go."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Do you think she'll ever come back."  
  
"I hope so...."  
  
"Me too. Thank you Tristan."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For being there for her, for being there for me when I needed you, for being here for me right now, you're like a son to me, you, Dean, and Jess. I never though I would say that but its true."  
  
"Your welcome Loralei, now go get some rest."  
  
"You too."  
  
"Okay, goodnight."  
  
"Night."  
  
---End Intercut---  
  
Tristan knew that now he couldn't go back to sleep so he picked the phone up once again and called Jess.  
  
---Jess/Tristan Intercut---  
  
"Who the hell is calling right now?" asked a Jess who had obviously just woken up from the phone ringing.  
  
"Call Dean and tell him to get down to the coffee shop, we're going down."  
  
"Tristan why do you call at the most abnormal hours. Don't you sleep like us normal people do?"  
  
"Loralei called."  
  
"Oh we'll be there in half an hour."  
  
"Good."  
  
---End Intercut---  
  
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I know your all thinking whoa, weird. But there will be ships in this story, the story behind Rory's change will unravel, the story behind the three guys friendship will be shown, and well you'll see everything and well stuff will happen. Next chapter the coffee shop and Rory's side (meaning her outlook on her wedding, on the three guys, and numerous other things).  
  
Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease -Anna 


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